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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · rest · leaves · tube · pop · racket · bank · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. kick — in football
  6. pop — music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pop — soda
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bank — for money
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — for money
  19. rest — a break
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com